If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You will be required to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Trestle table

03-16-2014, 11:10 AM

Customer wants me to build a trestle table 60 x 30". She would like seating at both ends. If I put the legs in 24 inches, so there is end seating, I think the table will look stupid. In addition , with the legs in 24 inches from the end I wonder if the table will be unstable. That is to say, '...will pressure applied down at one end of the table raise the other end?'

I think 24" in from each end is too much for a 60 inc long table. It will basically
become a rectangular topped pedestal table because they will be 12 inches apart.
that would also kill the center of the table as a seating position unless the legs were
in from the sides about 10 or 12 inches, which again gets back to how stable will it be.

What about 16 or 18 inches? I suggest you sit at a dinning table comfortably and
measure how much room is really needed.

I'm thinking 14 or 16 inches would be plenty, but measure it yourself and see what
you think.

Can the table be longer, maybe 72 inches, or is there no room in the location where they
want to place it.

Comment

My trestle table legs are 13" from the end and we set at the ends of it all the time,

it was about 36 X 66 original.

It is made out of construction grade lumber,

I did make it wider by 6" and put some leaves in it once for a large family dinner. now it 42" X102" with leaves in and out 42 x 66" I did have to modify the truss some with the leaves,

We have used it for the last 40 years,

Push sticks/blocks Save Fingers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good."
attributed to Samuel Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PUBLIC NOTICE: Due to recent budget cuts, the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil...plus the current state of the economy............the light at the end of the tunnel, has been turned off.

Comment

Tom, I see your post count is at 666. There is an internet rumor that if your post count stays at 666 for more than 24 hours, you'll never be heard from again, in the reality anyway, so get back to us ASAP !

Comment

The golden rule from the Greeks any ratio of 8 x 5 is pleasing to the eye. A 60 " long table divided by 1.6 = 37.5" wide .
A 37.5 " wide table would look best 60" long . 37.5" x 1.6 = 60 " Of course other needs may change Your measurements.
Over the Years, I've learned ,when someone wants Me to build something that makes no sense , I pass. In the end they'll blame You. And Your Rep will suffer.

I can build anything You want , if you draw a picture of it , on the back of a big enough check .

Comment

Thank you one and all for the leg setback suggestions. The maximum length the lady wants is 60 inches so I will do as everyone has suggested and measure as I sit at a table.

Another issue I am unclear about is that the lady wants turned legs - I am cool with that - and four feet attached to each leg - I am not too cool with that. I suppose the correct way to attach the feet to the legs is with sliding dovetails but I just don't want to do it. I made a bookcase a couple years ago with all tapered sliding dovetails. It would have helped if I had been an octopus. The experience left a black space in my heart for sliding dovetails. Any suggestions for attaching the feet to the legs? Maybe lagging them? I thought about dowels and epoxy but wondered if the epoxy might fail because it was too brittle for the continuous movements of the feet.

I have been away for a while, busy as anything trying to make enough money to keep the sheriff from repossessing my stuff. One result is that I have forgotten how to add the 'thank you' at the bottom of the posts. But thank you to all.

Tom

P. S. Started another hobby, ice climbing, it is the real deal and I will probably start a thread in the general discussion section to ask for advice there.

Comment

Toolaholic, I use the Golden Mean of 1.618 often. Unfortunately I seldom use it when I plan, but often use it when things I build don't turn out as I would have liked and I have to modify them. There are space constraints for the table thus the 30x60" measurements. No matter how I fiddled with the ratio eg multiplying it by .25 or .50 I couldn't make the leg placement, end to end, beneath the table work so that it was within the parameters of the ratio and also fit seating requirements. There is a good chance I messed up numbers along the line someplace, but I couldn't make them work.

with four feet I would suggest a cross lap joint on the legs, and then cut a double slot in the base of the turned leg,

if you know what you want for legs, make the legs or a quick mock up of them out of construction grade material's to the correct size, and then set them apart and put a card board top or ply wood mock up of the table and see where the legs look the best,

but a cross lap would be very easy, to do, I am putting in a few pictures of various table legs with four feet,

all but the last one could use a cross lap and the last one would be easy as well some just depends on the look and style one wants, and if you feet are 24" across, you would be about 14" in from the ends,

but even making a small mock up 1" to the foot one could play with proportions and athesticits very low cost and quickly, a few dowels and some band saw time you could have a visual model

Push sticks/blocks Save Fingers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good."
attributed to Samuel Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PUBLIC NOTICE: Due to recent budget cuts, the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil...plus the current state of the economy............the light at the end of the tunnel, has been turned off.

Push sticks/blocks Save Fingers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good."
attributed to Samuel Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PUBLIC NOTICE: Due to recent budget cuts, the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil...plus the current state of the economy............the light at the end of the tunnel, has been turned off.